Ann Arbor’s 2 new programs aim to change how the city responds to mental health crises

Ann Arbor, like many other cities, is wrestling with the same question: When someone calls 911 because they are having a mental health crisis, is sending a police officer always the right call?  Ann Arbor is now doing something about that. The City Council just approved two new programs that will work together. The first is called Sprout—it’s a mental health response team. No police, just trained clinicians who show up at low-risk calls like welfare checks or homelessness concerns. Situations where someone just needs a little help. The second one is called Co-Response A2 Reach. It pairs a police officer with a mental health clinician. Together, they are in the same police car. They handle more difficult calls, but ones that still need a different approach, like someone in a mental health crisis, a suicide threat, or a substance use emergency. Situations where you need both mental health help and a police officer. The whole idea is pretty straightforward: match the response to the situation. If it is a mental health call, send a mental health professional. If it is a safety threat, send both. That way, police can stay focused on crime, and people in crisis can get the help they need. Ann Arbor City Administrator Milton Dohoney Jr. and Police Chief Andre Anderson joined Local 4 Live to talk about the new programs.